Medica Group of Hospitals, a city-based hospital chain, has launched a health awareness programme for private school students, a top official said.

"We have launched Medica School Connect Programme, a health services awareness programme, targeting private schools in the city in the first phase before we extend the same to state assisted schools also," Medica Group of Hospitals chairman Dr Alok Roy said.He said that many schools have shown interest already and plans are afoot to enrol around one lakh students under the programme in the city by the end of 2018-19.Explaining the benefits, Dr Roy said the cost for a student for this programme is Rs 350 a year. It comes with a host of benfits too like insurance worth Rs 50,000 in case of accidental and general medical emergency.

"Medica will only charge for consumables and medicines and the rest will be free like hospital bed and doctor's fee," he said.Health education and free general health checkup worth Rs 4,000 will also be part of the benefit under the programme.

Future First Insurance Broking has facilitated the school connect programme through tying up with leading insurance players to take up the financial obligation related to accidental hospitalization insurance cover and continuity of education in the event of untimely demise of earning parent due to some accident or natural causes. BSM